Sprinkler



Patented Nov. 25, 1952 SPRINKLER Ivar Jepson, Oak Park, Ill., assignor to Sunbeam Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Applicaticn April 20, 1949, Serial No. 88,509

Claims.

This invention relates to sprinklers particularly adapted for watering lawns, gardens, golf courses and the like. Specifically the present invention is an improvement on copending Jepson application, Serial No. 88,508, filed concurrently herewith and assigned to the same assignee as the present application.

Rotary reaction type sprinklers have been extensively employed for sprinkling lawns and the like and such prior type of sprinklers have in the main comprised a plurality of discharge nozzles or jet delivery devices arranged in spaced relation on a rotary head, usually in substantially balanced relation at the opposite sides of the axis about which the nozzles revolve. In the majority of these sprinklers no adjustment of the area covered by the sprinkler was possible and any control in this direction was had solely by controlling the amount of water supplied to the sprinkler which was unsatisfactory even at best. In United States Letters Patent 2,335,281, J epson, there was disclosed and claimed a sprinkler in which by the adjustment of a single dial the area covered by the sprinkler is readily controllable in a simple and expeditious manner. This typ of sprinkler has come into great favor in recent years and the present invention is in some respects closely allied thereto.

Although the sprinkler disclosed in the abovementioned Jepson patent has found great favor, the construction thereof is fairly expensive by virtue of the adjustable nozzles required and it cannot compete from the standpoint of selling price with the more or less unsatisfactory rotary reaction type sprinklers referred to above. It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a sprinkler having at least some of the advantageous features of the above-mentioned Jepson patent and which can be manufactured and sold at a lower cost and which sprinkler will still permit of the adjustment of the area sprinkled by a single dial control.

Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel sprinkler arrangement whereby the area sprinkled upon operation of the sprinkler may be adjusted by a single control device.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved sprinkler of the type having one or more fixed nozzles for projecting a jet or stream of water against a vane to cause rotation of the nozzle about an axis together with means for adjusting the vane relative to the nozzle in a selective manner to vary the magnitude of the area sprinkled by the sprinkler.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a sprinkler of relatively few parts which is easy to manufacture and which will give years of foolproof and satisfactory service.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds, and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of the present invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a lawn sprinkler embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the lawn sprinkler shown in Fig. 1, assuming Fig. 1 shows the complete construction;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view looking in the direction of the arrows 33 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 of Fig. 1.

Although the present invention has been illustrated in the drawing specifically as embodied in a sprinkler especially designed for sprinkling lawns, it should be understood that the present invention is capable of application to other sprinkler arrangements. As illustrated the sprinkler embodiment is capable of distributing water in a uniform manner over a circular area having a diameter of the order of fifty feet for the maximum setting thereof and an area having a diameter of the order of five feet for the minimum setting thereof. It will be understood that these areas of distribution are by way of example only, although an'area having a diameter of fifty feet as the maximum area is practical since the majority of lawns are no wider than fifty feet. Furthermore if the sprinkler were designed to cover circular areas much greater than fifty feet in diameter the amount of water supplied thereto through the conventional garden hose would be insufiicient and also the uniformity of distribution would likely be impaired. Similarly it is seldom desirable to cover areas smaller than about five feet in diameter.

Referring now to the drawing there is illustrated a sprinkler generally designated at Ill which comprises a suitable base ll adapted to rest upon the ground and of sufficient area so as to give firm support to the remainder of the sprinkler In. The base II is preferably formed from a sheet metal stamping or the like and comprises a raised central portion forming a fiat surface Ha having a suitable opening therein for receiving a fastening means for supporting a hollow upright I 2 thereon. A illustrated the upright I2 may comprise a suitable casting equipped with a conventional hose coupling means I3 by means of which water under pressure may be supplied to the interior chamber I4 defined within the hollow support or upright I2. A suitable plug I5 having an enlarged head is threadedly engaged with an opening at the lower end of the upright I2 so as to clamp the base II to the upright I2. It will be apparent that this plug I5 in addition to serving as an assembly means for the base I I and the upright I2, also provides a clean out plug whereby any sediment or the like which may accumulate in the hollow chamber I4 defined within the upright l2 may be removed.

For the purpose of rotatably supporting a suitable nozzle carrying head I6 from the upper end of the upright or support I2, this upper end of the support I2 is provided with a bore I2a for receiving therein a bearing sleeve or hearing I'I, preferably formed of bronze or the like which bearing sleeve may be press fitted into the bore I2a. Rotatable about the vertical axis of the bearing I1 is a hollow bearing stud I8 journalled in the bearing bushing I1, which stud has an enlarged lower end which under the pressure of water supplied to the chamber I4 seats against a combined packing and thrust washer 20. The nozzle head I6 is provided at its underside with a threaded opening 2I for receiving the upper threaded end- [8a of the hollow bearing stud I8. Normally the head I6 rests on the protruding end of the bushing or bearing sleeve H, but when water under pressure is supplied to the sprinkler I 0 this pressure lifts the stud I8 and the nozzle head I6 thereby substantially reducing the friction when rotation of the sprinkler occurs. As illustrated the nozzle head I6 comprises a casting defining a chamber 23 therein of somewhat annular configuration having in addition to the threaded opening 2I defined therein which is effectively a water inlet opening, a pair of threaded diametrically opposed openings 24 for receiving the threaded ends of a pair of nozzles 25. It will be understood that these nozzles might be integrally formed with the head I6 if desired, and they comprise the water outlet openings for the chamber .23. The top of the head I6 is preferably provided with a flat surface I6a and in addition includes a pair of laterally extending members or ears 26 integrally formed with the head I6 which provide off center means for pivotally supporting a vane or vanes to be described hereinafter. Instead of ears a flange extending all around the head I6 may be employed from which the vane can be pivoted on an axis displaced from the axis of rotation of the head. These ears 26 extend from the head I6 somewhat parallel to the nozzles 25 and closely adjacent thereto. Assuming clockwise rotation of the head I6 with reference to Fig. 2 of the drawing the ears 26 are each disposed slightly in advance of the corresponding nozzle 25.

With the arrangement described thus far it will be apparent that when water under pressure is supplied as by connecting a suitable hose to the coupling I3, this water will be discharged through the nozzles 25. Although the head I6 is rotatable, without additional means to be described hereinafter, no rotation thereof will occur.

For the purpose of applying a rotational torque to the head I6 in response to the issuance of jets of water fromthe nozzles 25, there are provided a pair of vanes 28 and 29, each pivotally mounted as indicated at to an associated one of the ears 26 on axes displaced from the aXis of rotation of the head I6 and to one side of the associated nozzles 25. The main portions of the vanes are substantially identical and of somewhat U-shaped configuration as is best shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing. Furthermore each vane has an arcuate configuration so as to provide a sort of water directing function when the jet impinges against the vane within the confines of the U. Also in accordance with the present invention, each of the vanes is provided with a cam follower extension 3I extending beyond the pivot 30 in the opposite direction from the vane portions 28 and 29 and effectively extending toward the vertical axis for the bearing of the nozzle head I6.

Associated with each of the pivots I3 is a suitable coiled torsion spring 32 having the ends thereof extending laterally and specifically designated as 32a and 32b. Each of the ends 32b is adapted to have a lateral projection 32c engageable with its associated car 26 as is clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, while the end 32a thereof bears against the associated vanes 23 or 29. With this arrangement it is apparent that the torsion spring 32 will tend to cause rotation of the associated vanes 28 or 29 in a clockwise direction about the pivots 30 as viewed in Fig. 2 of the drawing. Actually both the force of the water jets and centrifugal force bias the vanes in a clockwise direction about the axi 36 as viewed in Fig. 2 of the drawing when the sprinkler is rotating and the torsion spring 32 is necessary only to hold the vanes against the cam when the sprinkler is not operating. It will be understood that it might even be dispensed with.

The vanes 28 and 29 are selectively adjustable between the solid line position and the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2. When the vanes are in the solid line position shown, the water jets from the nozzles 25 impinge thereagainst so that the major portion of the kinetic energy in the water jet is converted to a reaction torque tendin to rotate the vanes and consequently also the nozzle I6 at a very high speed, closely approaching the discharge velocity of the water from the nozzles 25 with the result that the velocity of the water relative to the ground is very low and a minimum area is covered or sprinkled by the sprinkler. On the other hand when the vanes are in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing only a portion of the kinetic energy in the water jet is converted to a reaction torque and the remainder of the jet is permitted to flow at a substantial velocity relative to the ground so as to be distributed over a relatively wide area.

For the purpose of selectively controlling the magnitude of the area over which the water is distributed there is provided a combined manual control and cam member generally designated at 36 adapted to be fastened to the head I6 by a suitable tension screw 31 disposed coaxially with the axis of the bearing I8. A suitable spring washer or tension washer 38 is interposed between the cam member 36 and head I6 which tends to maintain the member 36 in any selectively adjusted position relative to the head I6.

The combined manual control and cam member 36 is provided at the top with a ridge portion 40 in the form of a handle of relatively narrow width readily graspable by the fingers of an operator to produce relative movement between the member 36 and the head I6 against the frictional force produced by the tension washer 38. In addition the member 36 includes a cam portion 4I having two identical cam surfaces Ma and lb each extending over substantially 180 degrees of the circumference of the member 36. These cam surfaces Ma and MD have gradually decreasing radii from the high portions of the cam surfaces illustrated in Fig. 2 as engageable with the cam followers 3|. It will be apparent from Fig. 2 that counterclockwise rotation of the member 36 will rotate the cam surfaces Ma and 4| 1) to permit the torsion springs 32 to move the vanes 28 and 29 in a direction toward the dotted line position shown which is in a direction toward an increased area of distribution. Preferably the head "5 and the member 36 are provided with cooperating indicia and indicator means so as to provide an indication at all times of the settin of the sprinkler. This indicia may be directly calibrated in terms of the diameter of the circular area over which water is distributed by the sprinkler or it may have suitable indicia representative of the area. As illustrated the indicia generally designated at 43 in Fig. 3 of the drawing is provided on the head l6 and a suitable indicator 44 is provided on the member 36. Also as illustrated the sprinkler is adjustable to four different settings with the setting designated as No. 1 being the settng of minimum area of distribution.

From the above description it will be apparent that the sprinkler I!) may readily be assembled by attaching the head I6 to the stud l8 and also attaching the vanes 28 and 29, the nozzles and the member 36 to the head. The base II will also be attached to the upright l2 by the fastening means 15. This assembly operation can be accomplished in a very simple and inexpensive manner.

In view of the detailed description included above, the operation of the sprinkler [0 will be understood by those skilled in the art. Briefly, when water under pressure is supplied to the sprinkler, jets of water from the nozzles 25 are caused to impinge against the vanes 28 and 29 with the resultant rotation of the head l6 and the distribution of water over a circular area surrounding the sprinkler Ill. The speed of rotation of the head IE will depend upon the selective position of the vanes, or in other words the amount of kinetic energy from the water jets converted to a reaction torque for rotating the head l6 and this can be controlled in dependance upon the position of the vanes 28 and 29 with respect to the nozzles 25. The area over which water from the sprinkler is distributed is controlled in a simple manner merely by the adjustment of a single member 36 which is effectively a dial member whereby the operator may dial the area to be covered by the sprinkler.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of the present invention, it is not desired that the invention be limited to the construction shown and described for it will,

of course, be obvious to those skilled in the art,

that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention, and it is therefore aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a sprinkler, a head rotatable about a first axis, a water jet discharging nozzle extending from said head, a vane rotatable with said head, pivotal means for supporting said vane from said head for limited movement relative to said nozzle about a second axis displaced from said first axis, said vane being so disposed relative to said nozzle that at least a portion of the water jet from said nozzle impinges thereon to cause rotation of said head and vane, and a manually actuable member pivotal about said first axis for selectively controlling the relative position of said vane and nozzle to control the effectiveness of said water jet in rotatin said head and consequently to control the magnitude of the area over which water is distributed by said sprinkler.

2. 'A sprinkler comprising a head rotatable about a vertical axis, a water jet discharging nozzle extending laterally from said head, a, vane pivotally supported from a point on said head displaced from said vertical axis and in advance of said nozzle with reference to the direction of rotation of said head, a cam means pivotally supported on said head, a cam follower on said vane for engaging said cam means, means for biasing said vane to maintain said cam follower against said cam means, said vane being so disposed relative to said nozzle that at least a portion of the water jet from said nozzle impinges thereon to cause rotation of said head and vane, and a manual control member pivotal about said axis and operatively connected to said cam means for selectively controlling the position of said cam means and consequently the relative position of said vane and nozzle to control the magnitude of the area over which water is distributed by said sprinkler.

3. A sprinkler comprising a head rotatable about a vertical axis, a water jet discharging nozzle extending from said head and rotatable therewith, a vane rotatable with said head and pivotally supported from said head about an axis displaced from said vertical axis, said vane being disposed to one side of said nozzle so that a jet of water from said nozzle may impinge on said vane to cause rotation of said vane and consequently rotation of said head about said vertical axis, and manually actuable means pivotal about said vertical axis for selectively controlling the relative positions of said vane and said nozzle to control the magnitude of the area over which water is distributed by said sprinkler.

4. In a sprinkler, a head rotatable about an axis, a pair of diametrically opposed water jet discharging nozzle members extending from said head, a pair of vane members, means for pivotally supporting said vane members on said head at spaced points on either side of said axis so that said vane members rotate as a unit with said head and nozzle members while permitting limited relative movement between said vane members and said nozzle members, said vane members being so disposed relative to said nozzle members that at least a portion of the water jet from said nozzle members impinges on said vane members to cause rotation of said head and vane members, and a single manually actuated dial member operatively connected to one pair of said members for selectively controlling the relative position of said vane members and nozzle members to control the effectiveness of said water jet in rotating said head and consequently to control the magnitude of the area over which water is distributed by said sprinkler.

5. A sprinkler comprising a head rotatable about a vertical axis, a pair of water jet dischargiIlg nozzles extending laterally from said head, a pair of ears extending laterally from said head in advance of said nozzles with reference to the direction of rotation of said head, a pair of vanes pivotally supported by said ears and eifectively comprising movable. extensions of said ears,, ro-- tatablecam means supportedonsaid head, acam.

follower on each. of. said. vanes for engagingsaid cam.means, means for continually biasing said vanes to maintain saidi cam. followers against said cam means, said vanes being so. disposed relative. to said. nozzles: that at. least aportionzo! thewater. jet from said nozzle. impinges thereon to cause rotation ofsaid head and vane, andra dial member pivotal about said axisand opera.- tivelyconnected to said cam means'for-selectively controllingthe position of. said can means and consequently therelative positions of: said vanes and nozzles to control the, magnitude-of the area over; which water-is distributed by saidsprinkler.

6. Ina sprinkler, a headrotatable abouta vertical axis, awater jet discharging'nozzle extending; from said' head, a vane supported on' said headfor limitedpivotal movement with-respect thereto and rotatable with said head; said: vane beingso disposed relative to said-nozzle that at leastv a portion of the water jet from said nozzle impinges thereon to cause rotation of saidhead and.vane,, adjustable stop means for selectively limiting therelative-movement of said vane and head; and a manually actuatable dial member for setting said stop means to controlthe effectiveness of said water jet in rotatin -said head and-consequently to control the magnitude of-the area over which water is distributed bysaid sprinkler.

'7. In a sprinkler, a head rotatable about a vertical axis, a water. jetdischarging nozzle extending-from-said head, a vane, pivot'means for pivotally supporting said vane from said head at a point. displaced from said vertical axis, means tending: to rotate said vane in a predetermined direction about said pivot means at least when said sprinklenis operating, adjustable means-for selectively limiting the movement of said vane about. said pivot means whereby saidvane rotatesas a unit with said nozzle, said vanebeing so. disposed. relative to. said nozzle that atleast a. portion of the water jet from said nozzle impinges thereonto cause rotation of-saidhead and vane, and a manually actuable-dialmember for selectively setting said-adjustable means to control the efiectivenessof' said water jet in rotating: said headand consequently to control the magnitude. of the. area. over which water is dis-'- tributed by saidsprinkler.

8..A sprinkler; having a water; supply" head rotatable abouta vertical. axis; a water jet discharging nozzle element extending from said head and rotatable therewith; a vane' element,

means for mounting saidevaneelement onsaid head for rotation therewith but permitting; limitedrelative movement of said elements, said vane and nozzle elements being disposedso-that in all relatively adjustable. positions. thereof: at leastsome water from'the water jet strikessaid vane. element to: produce rotation ofsaid head about said vertical: axis, amanually actuable rotatable dial member on said head coaxially disposed with respect. to-said' axis and having Jperatively associated therewith? circumferentially' spacedi. indi'cia indicating different settings representative of different areasofdelivery or said; sprinkler,. an. indicator member; said dial member: being: manuaily adjustable about said axis to. a. pro-selectable setting. relative to said othermember. representative-of one of said-areas, a; cam. memberrotatable with said dial member, and meansoperatively; relating said cam member and' some of: said elements and responsive to rotatable. movement. of saidcam member for varyingzthe relative. posiitons of said elements.

9. In. a. sprinkler, a head rotatable about. a vertical; axis, awater jetdischarging nozzle extending from: said head-,a vane, pivot means for pivotally supporting saidvane from said head, spring means. associated with said'pivot tending to rotate said: vane in. a predetermined direction about: saidipivot' means, adjustable cam means for limiting. the movement of said vane about said pivot means whereby said vane rotates as a unit. with said nozzle, said vane being so disposedrelative to said nozzle that at least aportion. of. the water jet'from said nozzle impinges thereon t'ocause rotation of said head and vane, and-a manually actuable dial member connected to said cam means for setting said cam means to control the efiectiveness of said Water jet in rotating said head and. consequently to control the: magnitude of the area over which water is distributed by said sprinkler.

10; A=.sprink1er. comprising a head rotatable about a vertical axis,. a water jet'discharging nozzle extending laterally from said head, an earaextendihg laterally'from-said head in advance offsaidnozzle-with-reference to the direction of rotation of said head, a vane pivotally supported to said ear and effectively comprising a movable extension of-said ear, a cam means pivotally supportedion said head, a:cam follower on said vane for engaging said oam means, means for. continually biasing said vane to maintain said cam follower: against said cam means, said vane being: so disposed relative to said nozzle that at least a portion of the water jet from saidnozzle impingesrthereon to cause rotation of said head and: vane, and: a manually actuable member pivotal; about said-axis and operatively connected to said cam. means for selectively controlling the position ofsaid cam means and consequently the relative position of saidvane and nozzle to control'the magnitude-of the area over which water is. distributed by said sprinkler.

IVAR JEPSON.

REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences' are of recordin the file of this patent:

UNITED-STATES PATENTS Number" Name Date 180,007 Copping July 18, 1876 635,33'7- Monroe Oct. 24, 1899 860,054 Pepcover- July 16,1907

1,901,225 Butler Mar. 14,1933 2314 702 Higgins .Mar. 23', 1943 2;335,281- Jepson: .Nov. 30, 1943 

